Wednesday, June 29, 2016

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
This is a book told backwards. 

Readers are given a hint of the ending to come, and then thrust two weeks back in time, day by day. Day 1 is the last day readers are allowed access to, and by the time we find ourselves all the way back to this start, it is to find ourselves gripped and guessing and completely surprised by the shocking revelations to come.

This is a book told backwards for multiple purposes. This is not a device simply to be different, to sell books by being creative. Miranda creates so much tension, so much suspense, and her characters' revelations (even regarding why the book is structured the way it is) are brilliantly orchestrated shocks to the system.
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This is a mystery about missing girls, years apart, but seemingly still connected. It is a story about love, about running away from the past, about families who are tied to their past but just can't seem to stay connected to each other. This is a book about loss, and the inability to move on.

This is a brilliant book, a gripping mystery, and a story that will stay with you long after you reach the beginning of the end.